Angels fans set cowboy hat world record

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HEIM -- If any Rangers decided to take a look in the stands, they might have thought they were playing at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington instead of Angel Stadium.

It wouldn't be because there were an excessive number of Rangers fans in the ballpark, but because the 30,000-plus fans in Anaheim looked like the stereotypical Texan.

Saturday night at Angel Stadium, fans set a Guinness World Record for the "largest gathering of people wearing cowboy hats." All fans in attendance to see the Angels take on the American League West-leading Rangers received a complimentary black cowboy hat with an Angels logo on the front.

Adjudicator Philip Robertson from Guinness Records judged the event to make sure that, in the fifth inning, fans wore the hat for at least 10 minutes, officially setting the record. He'll use the paid attendance, along with help from stadium ushers to count empty seats and non-participants, to make sure the final count of "legitimate" hat wearers is as accurate as possible.

"We've pre-inspected the hat," Robertson said. "The hat's accurate and to our specifications, and it's a legitimate hat. It's not something made out of feathers or string. It meets our requirements."

The record is a new category, Robertson said, and as long as at least 250 people were wearing the hat for 10 consecutive minutes at the same time, a record would have been set.

Setting Guinness World Records is something the Angels have tried to do for a few years. They have set records in the past for "largest gathering of people wearing blankets" in 2010 and "largest gathering of people wearing masks" in 2011.

"These record attempts are becoming an annual event for us," Angels vice president of sales and marketing Robert Alvarado said in a statement. "By attempting our third world record to complement the last two seasons' events, we will deliver a unique and memorable experience that our fans have come to expect."

Whether fans wore the hat on their head, or used it as a popcorn and beverage transporter, being a part of a world record is something most fans will remember.

"It's definitely awesome," 15-year-old David Sando said. "The fact that I'll be in the record books forever is so cool."